St. Tammany Parish schools to offer swine flu shots

In a joint effort with state health and education officials, the St. Tammany Parish School Board plans to offer free swine flu vaccinations to the district’s students and employees.

AP PhotoThe large-scale vaccination campaign, offered by the Louisiana Department of Education and the state Department of Health and Hospitals and financed through a grant from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will begin next month, said district supervisor of administration Cathy Aime.

St. Tammany is one of several districts in the state to take part in the districtwide immunization, though school districts in Bogalusa and in St. Helena and Washington parishes are also planning to offer the vaccinations, Dr. Parham Jaberi, north shore medical director for the Department of Health, told school officials Thursday.

“While it is definitely a formidable challenge, we appreciate St. Tammany for stepping up to the plate,” he said.

District students, their siblings and all district employees are eligible to receive the vaccinations during five Saturday events tentatively scheduled for Dec. 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fontainebleau Junior High School near Mandeville, Dec. 12 at Northshore High School, Jan. 9 at Covington High School, Jan. 16 at Fontainebleau High School and Jan. 23 at Pearl River High School.

Dates may change depending on when the vaccines become available, and parents can contact the School Board at 985.892.2276 or check the school system Web site at www.stpsb.org for updates. The district will send letters and consent forms to parents, who are encouraged to fill out the form prior to arriving to expedite the process.

Students and employees can receive the shots at any date and location, but children 9 and younger, who are the primary targets on the first two vaccination dates, are asked to receive their first shot on either Dec. 5 or Dec. 12. The district is encouraging families and employees first to contact their private health care providers about receiving vaccines and to use the district locations as a last resort, Aime said.

The H1N1 virus plagued St. Tammany schools this summer, when school officials began receiving reports of higher than usual school absences because of the flu.

On one day in late August, Tchefuncte Middle School in Mandeville had around 100 absences, more than double the number for a normal day, prompting school administrators to hold an open house to address the issue with parents. Jaberi said the number of absences, while still higher than usual for this time of year, has since declined.

Meanwhile, the district is continuing to monitor the situation and consult health officials on ways to guard against the spread of infection. Teachers are teaching children proper hygiene etiquette, and custodians have been provided extra cleaning supplies to try to keep schools germ-free.

Because swine flu has a propensity to affect younger children, who then spread the virus to their families, vaccinating them prevents the spread, he said.

“What you’re doing as a school system here really needs to be commended because not only are you protecting the health of the students, you’re protecting the health of the community,” Jaberi said.

Kia Hall Hayes can be reached at khayes@timespicayune.com or 985.645.2848.